Prevalence of Negative Symptoms and Associated Factors in Older Adults With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder

Objective To examine the prevalence of negative symptoms and associated factors in older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder living in the community. Methods The sample consisted of a multiracial sample of 198 persons aged 55 and more with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder that developed the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of geriatric psychiatry 2013-02, Vol.21 (2), p.100-107
Main Authors: Cohen, Carl I., M.D, Natarajan, Navin, M.D, Araujo, Marie, M.D, Solanki, Dishal, M.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
elderly
Humans
Internal Medicine
Logistic Models
Middle Aged
Negative symptoms
older adults
Prevalence
Principal Component Analysis
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Schizophrenia - diagnosis
Schizophrenic Psychology
Symptom Assessment - methods
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective To examine the prevalence of negative symptoms and associated factors in older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorder living in the community. Methods The sample consisted of a multiracial sample of 198 persons aged 55 and more with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder that developed the disorder before the age of 45; 39% and 61% lived independently and in supported community residences, respectively. George's Social Antecedent Model of Psychopathology was used to examine 16 predictor variables of negative symptoms, based on scores of 4 or more on any of the PANSS negative symptom items. Results Forty percent of the sample met the criteria for the presence of negative symptoms, and this decreased to 19% when potential secondary symptoms were excluded. In bivariate analysis, 10 variables were found to be significantly associated with the presence of negative symptoms, but when the model was tested in logistic regression analysis, only 3 variables retained significance: greater positive symptom scores (odds ratio [OR] = 1.26), lower cognitive scores (OR = 0.96), and fewer confidantes (OR = 0.80). Conclusion Negative symptoms do not dominate the clinical picture in later life, and levels of negative symptoms appear to be no higher than in younger schizophrenia populations. The relative paucity of significant variables and their modest effect sizes suggest that treatment for negative symptoms in later life will depend largely on strategies directed specifically at the negative symptoms.
ISSN:1064-7481
1545-7214
DOI:10.1016/j.jagp.2012.10.009